Homeowner Luciano Mares of Fort Sumner, New Mexico forgot the cardinal rule of cremation: Make sure the deceased is deceased before placing him in the flames.

According to the BBC story, Mares caught a mouse inside his home. For whatever reason, he didn't kill the creature before tossing in on a pile of burning leaves.

The mouse didn't get out of the blaze before its own fur caught fire, but when it did escape, it ran to its previous place of refuge — Mares' house. Perhaps the extreme drought and arid conditions contributed to the resulting conflagration: The house and all contents burned up in the resulting fire, although no one was hurt.